Years ago, Monument resident Danielle Kehoe told her parents that one day she would race in the Iornman World Championships. She made good on her word last month, placing 18th overall and winning an age group (25-29) world championship in Kona, Hawaii. She witnessed a brutal bike accident and battled the heat, humidity and demoralizing cross-winds.
And after a 2.4-mile swim and a 112-mile bike leg, she ran the last mile of the grueling marathon portion in 5 minutes, 36 seconds. Afterward, she spent three hours absorbing three bags of iv fluid in the medical tent.
"I could not release my death-clenched fists or extend my legs," she said.
Kehoe, 25, hopes to race as a professional in 2013. She wants to help wounded soldiers and challenged athletes. And she insists that Jeff Mack is the "best boyfriend in the world."
She shared some thoughts with us about her big race.     

Kona is such a massive event, what will you always remember about your experience there?
It was the last mile when it all started to set in. I was going to be first in my age group and second overall age-group female. I did everything I could, to pass the female in the lead by running my last mile in 5:36, but, on that particular day it was not meant to be.

I left everything I had on the race course and she outright beat me by 1 minute, 4 seconds. The last mile was a tunnel of deafening cheers from the thousands of spectators. As I passed several men and got closer to the finish line the cheers grew even louder. I crossed the line in 9:51:07, almost an hour faster than last years’ time with tougher racing conditions due to the crazy crosswinds on the bike and the scorching temperatures.

Running through the finish line and hearing my name announced over the intercom “Danielle Kehoe you are an Ironman” is a moment I will never forget.

Tell us about the moment in the race when you knew things were going right for you?
Due to a malfunction with the cannon, we were started by Mike Reilly yelling into the intercom, “GO, GO, GO”. This caught a lot of people off guard and allowed me to maintain a font position for the first few strokes without getting clobbered by the masses.

I had a great start and early into the swim I told myself that it was an extremely long day and to make sure to go easy on the swim. Just a few weeks prior to Kona I started working with a fantastic swim coach, Joe Novak. He has significantly improved my confidence with long and smooth strokes vs. the frantic and fast swimming I was used to.

I kept saying key words in my head to help me relax and just stay as calm as possible and translate this into my swimming technique. I improved my swim by over six minutes from last year and felt rejuvenated vs. exhausted coming out of the water. I smiled to myself pleased with my 1:07:30 swim split but knew I still had a lot of time to make up to catch the women age group leaders.

One of the best places to make up time is in transition where I grabbed my bike bag took off my speed suit, goggles and cap throwing them inside and quickly handing it off to a volunteer before running to grab my bike. Once locating my red saddle and water bottle cages (what I use to distinguish my bike from all the others around me); I put my helmet, sunglasses and socks on and turned on my SRM power meter before charging out of transition with my bike.

At the bike mount line, I quickly mounted my bike and put on my Exustar bike shoes. This is my favorite portion of an Ironman, the 112 mile bike ride, I absolutely love it! I was feeling really great as I headed out on the Kuakini Hwy which was lined with spectators. Here I had a very good feeling about the race ahead of me.

You had other great results this year followed by 18th overall and a world age-group championship at Kona. Where is all of this leading you, fully sponsored pro?
Wow, I sure hope so! I am doing everything I can to make this my career for the next several years. I absolutely love racing and hope to inspire others to follow their dreams through my performances. I also don’t want to race just for myself, I want to race for the greater good by putting on triathlon camps for wounded soldiers and challenged athletes. I want to spread a message of empowerment vs. entitlement!

We know it takes hard work to swim/bike/run at such a high level, how did you get the Kona idea in your head?
Funny you ask. It was truly divine intervention. As a child, I watched the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona and told my parents that one day I was going to do that race! I started triathlon extremely young and through God’s path I got evolved in XTERRA Triathlons.

One thing led to another and was asked to be on a Professional Adventure Racing Team. This was a life changing moment. My three-teammates were professional or very top amateur male Xterra racers.  They taught me how to push past all barriers and expectations.

Our races grew longer in length, ranging from 24 hours up to 36 hours. After completing the 36 hour Adventure Race with my incredible teammate, I knew I could do an Ironman! That was the moment I knew I was ready to tackle Kona!

Who is your coach and what was the best piece of advice he gave you before this race?
Lee Gardner is my coach for team Trismarter. He has been absolutely incredible and prepared me to have an outstanding 2012 racing season. He mentally and physically pushed me all year and did all my major training season by my side.

Lee and I the night before the race went for a long walk and talked about our game plan for the race. He ensured me that I was mentally and physically ready to have an outstanding race. He reminded me of all the hard work that we had done and how the race was just a way to show the world what I wa capable of.

We both knew anything could happen come race day so he also reminded me that it was only a race and no matter what, I already made a huge statement at 70.3 Worlds.

In all of your training, what helped the most?

Honestly, I trained extremely hard to get to the level I am at, however, it was the support of all myphenomenal sponsors for the 2012 season, which made all the difference in the world. I couldn’t do it without them! Lee Gardner with Trismarter, for helping me achieve my most successful triathlon season to date with two Age Group World Championships titles and one Overall Amateur World Championship title.

To SRM, for providing me with the best tool imaginable, a Power Meter, to enhance my cycling training and racing abilities. CafeVelo, who has done a great job prepping my bike for all my races this year.

Cervelo, who is not a sponsor yet but I would love them to sponsor me. I want to thank you as well for the incredible care your bike mechanic and staff provided me at both World Championships. Cervelo is truly the top of its class when it comes to bike companies.

Of course, thank you to Wheat Ridge Cyclery, Z Health, Colorado Running Company and Exustar for all your amazing support. Lastly, thank you to the angel hands and hearts of both my chiropractor, Dr. Grove Higgins and my masseuse Krista Lewis from Transformation Massage.

What is your strongest discipline (swim, bike or run) and how did that leg play out for you in the world championships?
No question, the bike! I love the bike section and thrive on challenging bike courses. Thousands of spectators lined Kuakini Hwy, cheering as we rode past, which made me even more excited. However, about five miles into the bike, a group of spectators ran across the road in front of the group of riders I was with at the time. When they made it safely across a female spectator decided to follow her husband who was in the group, and without looking charged onto the bike course.

With no time to react, a male cyclist just slightly ahead of me collided with the woman flipping over his handle bars and taking her completely out. I had the best seat in the house, it was absolutely horrible.

I had to quickly dodge his water bottles which were rolling across the road. At this point I had crazy amounts of adrenaline rushing through me and was seriously pissed at the people not paying attention.

Once I finally calmed down I said a prayer for both of them. After the race, I received word that the woman was taken to the ER and the man racing got back on his bike about 10 minutes after the accident but I never heard if he finished or not.

As I was clearing my mind from the accident I could hear Jeff’s, my boyfriend, voice yelling at me that I was 14 minutes behind the first age grouper who was in my age group (25-29). I kept my poise knowing who it was and having confidence within myself that I could catch her on the bike. Once I got off of Kuakini Hwy and up Palani Rd. (which is a steep short hill) I felt a lot safer on the bike.

The majority of the ride is on the Queen Ka’ahumanu Hwy or the Queen K. for short. This section is super-hot from the sun’s rays being absorbed by the black asphalt and even more so by the black lava fields which go on for endless miles. People write messages in White coral on the lava to provide inspiration for athletes on this dauntingly hot, humid, and what seems endless stretch of dull and barren portion of road.

I got into my groove on the bike but my SRM power meter was reading extremely low. I was not hitting the numbers Lee and I had hoped I would. This concerned me at first but we had done so many Ironman simulation efforts on the bike I knew if I pushed any harder I would be toasted on the run. So I set new goal numbers on the bike and was content with the fact that I kept passing several age groupers and no females had passed me. Having a SRM power meter is absolutely crucial to monitor your efforts and produce the best bike split you are capable of for that day.

As I turned onto Kawaihae I got to see my support crew again who were giving me more updates on my current position and how far back I was from the other amateur women. I knew I was not having the best bike I was capable of but hearing I was gaining on the women in front of me helped build my confidence.

At this point the winds started to pick up a lot and since I was making my way to the notorious turn around at Hawi, I would have to do the biggest climb in the race with a pretty nasty crosswind. I love it when race conditions become difficult and this felt more at home.

Throughout my race I pray the entire time but when I am getting blown across the road due to crazy crosswinds my prayers intensify.

"Holy Mary hear our prayer; keep us in your loving care,Whatever the perils of the way, let us not add to them this day.For our caution and attention we ask a prayer for your protection,To place God’s blessings on us to travel safely near and far."

I got to see the professional men and women on their way back down from Hawi and thought to myself I cannot wait until that is me! Once I got up to Hawi it is mostly downhill the majority of the way back to Kona so I tucked into my aero bars, continued to pray but tried to not think about the wind, and just ‘stay in my zone.' I stayed well hydrated and up on my nutrition throughout the entire bike. Once I hit T2, I was just so pleased to be in second place overall female amateur and be off the bike without any malfunctions or flats. I finished the bike with a time of 5:11:26, sixth fastest bike split including the professional women.

How did you feel physically and what were you thinking and feeling as you approached and crossed the finish line?
Thank God, I made it! The run was pretty rough for me! Upon crossing the finish line one of the male racers I passed at the very end congratulated me, saying you had a “smashing performance, darling.”
Right away two volunteers came over to see how I was doing and I said I needed to go to the medical tent.

They weighed me to confirm I needed medical attention and once they realized I had lost over five pounds, I was instantly admitted into the medical tent. I was also notified that since I placed within the top two overall female age groupers I had to do a drug test.

My two drug test administers followed me into the medical tent and never left my side. The medical staff was incredible and I had three nurses at my bedside for over three hours as I was hooked up to a total of three IVs. I received potassium because my muscle cramps were so bad. I could not release my death -clenched fists or extend my legs.

By my third IV, I started to shake so heavily that the doctor came over to monitor me for about an hour to make sure I didn’t need to be transported to the hospital. I was told later that I almost had to go because my condition was getting so bad. In my third IV they shot valium inside to help with the muscle spasms which were getting out of control.

I have never experienced anything like this before, it was actually very scary. The valium made me extremely sleepy and I almost fell asleep several times. After three hours of intensive care by the nurses and physician in the Ironman Medical tent I finally felt well enough to stand and do my urine drug test. So with several nurses holding blankets at my bedside to prevent any other athletes or bystanders from seeing me, I provided my urine test..

However, since I had just received three IVs I ended up filling six urine cups, “A new record!” I was told by the administrator taking my urine. Several minutes later I was finally released to see my family. Being able to see Jeff and my Uncle for the first time after the race was amazing. We hugged and hugged, it was truly special to have them there!

Where are your favorite places for training runs and rides in the Pikes Peak Region?
Wow, there are some fantastic places to bike and run in the Pike Peak Region. We are extremely blessed to have such a fun backyard! My stomping grounds are Cheyenne Mountain, Gold Camp, Garden of the Gods, Air Force Academy and the Santa Fe Trail.

What piece of advice would you give to people new to triathlon?
It is the same advice I would give to a professional triathlete, Have Fun! If you are not having fun and enjoying the experience then what is the point? Be able to laugh at yourself and learn from silly mistakes.

Fill in the blank. I am a ______ nerd. Now tell us why.
I am a Z Health Nerd! Z Health is an educational program that takes your training and racing to an entirely new level. By training your nervous system, incredible gains will be achieved in your every day movement patterns.

Most athletes are good about strength training to become stronger. Yet, how many athletes do you know train their visual and vestibular systems to become stronger and increase stamina? The nervous system is the governing system of the body, so when it is not working properly the entire body cannot function. The brain often provides us feedback that we have a problem with the nervous system through the form of pain.

The nervous system relies on accurate information from the visual, vestibular and proprioceptive (brain’s 3D map of the body in space) systems. However, without training, it is likely one or more areas is suffering significantly and therefore, truly robbing us of our genetic potential! Z Health has changed my  life and how I train for triathlons. Anyone looking to reduce pain, increase their endurance and recover  quicker needs incorporate Z Health into their daily routine!